Lenoir-Rhyne 17th in AFCA Preseason National Poll; Carson-Newman and Wingate Receiving Votes
ROCK HILL, S.C. (theSAC.com) -- Lenoir-Rhyne has been ranked No. 17 in the 2025 AFCA Division II Coaches Preseason Poll presented by Hudl. LR is the lone SAC representative in the top 25 with Wingate and Carson-Newman receiving votes.
The Bears were picked atop the SAC Preseason Coaches' Poll and are coming off a 10-3 season that saw them win at West Alabama in the first round of the playoffs. The Bears kick off the 2025 campaign at West Florida, who slot in at No. 8 nationally in the preseason poll, on August 29.
Carson-Newman earned 100 points but narrowly missed the top 25 while Wingate had 74 points in the poll. The Bulldogs were predicted to finish second in the league with Carson-Newman earning third according to the coaches' voting. Carson-Newman opens the season on August 30 when they host West Virginia St. while Wingate also opens that day when UNC Pembroke comes to town.
|
Rank
|
School (1st votes)
|
2024 Rec.
|
Pts.
|
2024 Rank
|
Season Opener
|
Head Coach
|
|
1
|
Ferris St. (30)
|
14-1
|
773
|
1
|
Aug. 28 vs. No. 9 Pittsburg St.
|
Tony Annese
|
|
2
|
Harding
|
12-2
|
734
|
4
|
Sept. 4 at Northwestern Oklahoma St.
|
Paul Simmons
|
|
3
|
Grand Valley St.
|
11-2
|
669
|
6
|
Aug. 30 vs. Lincoln (Pa.)
|
Scott Wooster
|
|
4
|
Slippery Rock (1)
|
12-2
|
576
|
3
|
Sept. 5 at Franklin Pierce
|
Shawn Lutz
|
|
5
|
Central Oklahoma
|
11-2
|
569
|
9
|
Aug. 30 at UT-Permian Basin
|
Adam Dorrel
|
|
6
|
Colorado St.-Pueblo
|
10-2
|
549
|
8
|
Aug. 28 vs. South Dakota Mines
|
Philip Vigil
|
|
7
|
Kutztown
|
11-1
|
517
|
5
|
Sept. 4 vs. Assumption
|
Jim Clements
|
|
8
|
West Florida
|
7-3
|
504
|
NR
|
Aug. 29 vs. No. 17 Lenoir-Rhyne
|
Kaleb Nobles
|
|
9
|
Pittsburg St.
|
8-3
|
451
|
17
|
Aug. 28 at No. 1 Ferris St.
|
Tom Anthony
|
|
10
|
Western Colorado
|
11-2
|
450
|
10
|
Aug. 28 vs. West Texas A&M
|
Jas Bains
|
|
11
|
Minnesota St.
|
11-4
|
449
|
7
|
Aug. 28 vs. Northwest Missouri St.
|
Todd Hoffner
|
|
12
|
Valdosta St.
|
13-1
|
402
|
2
|
Aug. 30 vs. Clark Atlanta
|
Graham Craig
|
|
13
|
Angelo St.
|
9-3
|
352
|
20
|
Aug. 28 at Fort Hays St.
|
Jeff Girsch
|
|
14
|
Charleston
|
11-1
|
337
|
15
|
Aug. 28 vs. Livingstone
|
Mike Tesch
|
|
15
|
California (Pa.)
|
10-3
|
275
|
12
|
Sept. 4 vs. No. 14 Charleston
|
Gary Dunn
|
|
16
|
Bemidji St.
|
10-4
|
254
|
13
|
Aug. 28 at Michigan Tech
|
Brent Bolte
|
|
17
|
Lenoir-Rhyne
|
10-3
|
248
|
16
|
Aug. 29 at No. 8 West Florida
|
Doug Socha
|
|
18
|
Ouachita Baptist
|
10-2
|
246
|
14
|
Sept. 4 at East Central
|
Todd Knight
|
|
19
|
Virginia Union
|
10-4
|
228
|
11
|
Aug. 31 vs. No. 24t Miles
|
Alvin Parker
|
|
20
|
UIndy
|
10-2
|
191
|
19
|
Aug. 28 at Marian
|
Chris Keevers
|
|
21
|
Central Washington
|
8-4
|
176
|
24
|
Aug. 28 vs. Colorado Mesa
|
Chris Fisk
|
|
22
|
Central Missouri
|
9-3
|
149
|
NR
|
Aug. 28 at Delta St.
|
Josh Lamberson
|
|
23
|
Augustana (S.D.)
|
8-4
|
127
|
25
|
Aug. 30 vs. Missouri Western
|
Jerry Olszewski
|
|
24t.
|
Ashland
|
9-4
|
114
|
23
|
Sept. 4 at Indiana (Pa.)
|
Doug Geiser
|
|
24t.
|
Miles
|
10-3
|
114
|
22
|
Aug. 31 vs. No. 19 Virginia Union
|
Chris Goode
|
*– Ranking in final AFCA Division II Poll of 2024
Others Receiving Votes: West Alabama, 113; Carson-Newman, 100; Wingate, 74; Fort Hays St., 66; Colorado School of Mines, 42; Saginaw Valley St., 35; Minnesota-Duluth, 29; Albany St., 26; Northwest Missouri St., 21; Indiana (Pa.), 16; UT-Permian Basin, 16; Delta St., 13; Findlay, 12; UNC-Pembroke, 12; Davenport, 10; Johnson C. Smith, 9; East Stroudsburg, 7; Fairmont St., 7; Southern Arkansas, 6; Texas A&M-Kingsville, 5; Colorado Mesa, 1; Truman St., 1.